Ilja Dragunov went for a war with WALTER for the NXT UK Championship at the recently concluded NXT TakeOver 36 pay-per-view. The Russian star overcame the odds and emerged victorious against the ‘The Ring General.’
Ilja Dragunov won the NXT UK Championship after defeating WALTER
This is not the first time they squared off inside the squared circle. Last year, they had collided in an absolute hard-hitting battle but it was WALTER who had successfully defended his title.
This time around, with the crowd back in attendance, Ilja Dragunov was fierce and was looking to retaliate against The Imperium leader. Ilja Dragunov was quite sure about his tactics going into the match and tried targetting the legs of WALTER.
The 22-minute classic contest saw both men take each other to the limits. They exchanged some brutal strikes during the course of the match and chops cut like knives on the chests of both the stars. early before moving on to more destructive moves.
DRAGUNOV WINS!
DRAGUNOV WINS!
DRAGUNOV WINS!The historic reign of @WalterAUT is over and we have a NEW #NXTUK Champion in @UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR!#NXTUKTitle#NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/EORAcDruKM
— WWE (@WWE) August 23, 2021
What went down during the epic match
WALTER had taken charge of the bout with a couple of destructive lariats that nearly sealed the deal for him but Ilja Dragunov made a comeback with a Dragon Suplex. WALTER had ‘The Mad Russian’ in his grip for a sleeper in the middle of the ring to slow him down for some time.
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‘The Austrian Anomaly’ hit Dragunov with a big powerbomb before climbing to the top rope for a diving splash. But, Dragunov showed great resilience and still managed to kick out in one of the nearest falls of the decade.
During the final minutes of the match, Dragunov locked WALTER in his signature sleeper hold. The undefeated champion could endure the offense and eventually tapped out in one of the most shocking moments of the year. Ilja Dragunov was in complete disbelief as his emotions poured out holding the NXT UK up high.
This is arguably one of the best matches this year and with Dragunov picking up the historic, it makes the story even more special. WALTER has been dominant having hold of the NXT UK title but now it seems that the brand is set to enter a new era after WALTER’s epic title reign was conquered.